What is it with you hero types? Always the same line1st PlacePublisher: Summitsphere / Developer: SummitsphereRelease Date: 13th Dec 2024 (USA) / 13th Dec 2024 (UK/EU)The second Wario-esque platformer to explode on our Switch's, Antonblast has been a long time coming. Chaotic and frenetic platforming is brought to life with bold and kinetic pixel art visuals, and we can't stop going back to take on more challenges.Antonblast caps of a fantastic year for indie titles in 2024, and is our eShop Selects winner of December 2024. We reviewed it and gave it an 8/10, and even better, there's now a performance patch! A genuine blast< Nintendo eShop Selects - November 2024eShop Selects Readers' Choice Vote (December 2024)As we mentioned above, this is the last time we'll be doing our Readers' Choice vote during eShop Selects. But you'll still have multiple chances to tell us about the games we missed in our aptly-titled series, Games We Missed.So, hit us what games have we missed in December 2024? You can let us know in the poll below and by dropping us a comment. Plus, tell us what game you liked best out of our own choices!What's the best Switch eShop game we missed in December 2024? (0 votes)No results yet, check back later...What was your favourite eShop game from our top December picks? (15 votes)Antonblast (Switch eShop)40%DoDonPachi SaiDaiOuJou (Switch eShop) 0%Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered (Switch eShop)20%Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind (Switch eShop)20%RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic (Switch eShop)20%Victory Heat Rally (Switch eShop) 0%How we decide our eShop Selects top three: As we reach the end of every month, the Nintendo Life staff vote on their favourite titles from a list of games selected by the editorial team. To qualify for this list, these games must have been released as a digital-only Nintendo Switch eShop title in that particular month, and must have been reviewed on Nintendo Life; we select the qualifying games based on their review scores.Staff are then asked to vote for three games that they think deserve to sit right at the very top of that list; first choice gets three points, second choice gets two points, and third choice gets one point. These votes are then tallied to create a top-three list, with the overall winner taking that month's top prize.Related GamesSee Also

In BriefPosted:12:04 PM PST December 31, 2024Image Credits:Silas Stein/picture alliance (opens in a new window) / Getty ImagesInvestigation exposes pedophilia in the child-influencer industryA New York Times investigation found that dozens of potential pedophiles have prolifically exploited the child influencer industry, portraying themselves as photographers or social media experts to get close to the children.One such man, Michael Allen Walker, reportedly promised mothers that their daughters would gain large Instagram followings under his guidance. He ran his business from a state prison, where he is serving a 20-year sentence for the sexual exploitation of children. Walker had also bragged on Telegram, where many of these men communicate, that he had seen sexual photos of child influencers, according to the report.According to the investigation, the men gain the trust of mothers by walking a fine line, proposing photos of their children that dont have explicit nudity. Other times, men reportedly offered money for used childrens clothes or for photos not on the childs account.Ryan Daniels, a spokesperson for Meta, told The New York Times that there are protections on teen accounts to limit interactions with strangers. For underage accounts run by a parent, the parent has control over the privacy settings, content, and how the account interacts with other accounts.Topics

There are some filmmakers known for their distinct visual language. Tim Burton is one of them, with his Gothic, macabre, and quirky sense of humor. Interestingly, when making the Beetlejuice sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, his mandate was to capture the spirit of the original by mimicking what was technically and creatively achievable back in 1988. Even with the push to get as much of the effects work done in-camera, Production VFX Supervisor Angus Bickerton had to resort to many digital solutions, including the 253 shots delivered by Framestore that feature Baby Beetlejuice, Beetlejuices dismembered ex-wife Delores, and a stop-motion animated Charles Deetz being bitten by a shark. A lot of the stuff that we did was seamless because we were not trying to show off the visual effects of the work, states Matthew Krentz, VFX Supervisor, Framestore. It was all about helping to sell the story. Our biggest helper on this was our client-side visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton. Angus had actually worked with Tim on Batman [motion control cameraman] and Dark Shadows [Production VFX Supervisor] so he knew the direction that Tim wanted from the beginning. Everything we were doing in visual effects was made to look like it would have been done for real if we could have done it.Here's the final trailer:We looked at the original movie quite a few times for references and one of things we specifically studied was when Beetlejuice [Michael Keaton] is shrunken down in the model, remarks Krentz. When he is digging into the grave, there are all these layers of Styrofoam and different practical things that made it look like a model. We tried recreating that when breaking up of the set piece when it cracks open and reveals Beetlejuice for the first time. There were a couple of different elements that were part of the Beetlejuice reveal sequence. Krentz continues, We did this earthquake that travels along the ground of the model, it breaks apart, and thats when Beetlejuice comes into the attic for the first time. We had a full LiDAR scan of the practical model because we had to work with what they had shot. The model was built in two separate pieces that broke apart in the middle and separated out. The only thing that we did in the reveal was add some smoke and atmosphere. We had some uplighting to make it look more interesting. That portion of it was a lot more in-camera trickery versus the stuff we did when the camera is following along the middle of the model, which was completely digitized. An interesting challenge was distinguishing the differences between a real and miniature house. We had to make a miniature house look real and then dumb it down so you could see all of the subtleties that the modelmakers would have made. Digital doubles were created for when Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) and Rory (Justin Theroux) fall through a trapdoor, tumble through a black hole, and land in the model of Winter River. Some footage was shot of the actors standing and waving their arms around, states Krentz. We put them in, but it didnt feel like they were falling. We did digital versions of them but in a way that replicated their motions as closely as possible and tried to ground everything. We looked at references like Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland where Alice falls through the tunnel, but it felt too animated. While finding herself inside the shrink office of Beetlejuice, Lydia becomes pregnant and gives birth to Baby Beetlejuice. I read that section of the script probably 10 times and every time it had me in tears laughing, Krentz notes. It was shot exactly how I imagined they would. In terms of Baby Beetlejuice there two sequences. One is in the shrinks office and a post credit scene when Lydias daughter Astrid has a baby at the end and Baby Beetlejuice starts attacking all the doctors and nurses. Blood starts shooting everywhere and limbs are flying around. They did that as practical as possible. Because Baby Beetlejuice had so many puppeteers and took up so much space. we had to do some CG to go over those sections. Sometimes the legs and arms had to be digitally replaced. We did have a full CG model of Baby Beetlejuice that was animated and rigged but we didnt do any facial animation.Stop-motion animation was utilized to explain the death of Charles Deetz (Jeffrey Jones does not appear in the movie) who also appears as a live-action persona that has been disfigured by a shark attack. We had an actor in a full blue outfit from the waist up and he had this makeup done of a shark bite that went all around his chest, remarks Krentz. And for the bottom half, he had whatever Charlie Deetz was wearing. We had a scan of the actor and tracked into his chest our CG gory bloody looking cavity. We would paint out and replace his blue upper half, so you get a half empty version of the character walking around trying to figure out where he is. Charles Deetz was more involved than the Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow. What they had was almost a puppet version of Charles Deetz with the cavity there in the chest piece and would shoot reference for us whenever we needed to do that. The lighting was always crazy with blues and oranges. You knew exactly how it needed to look like. There was always something to ground us with that practical version of that puppet. The animation test was the hardest thing to do for the character. We had to go through multiple departments to get any sort of visual representation. The funny thing was he had an esophagus that stuck out a little bit and based off that animation, the idea is we were shooting up blood spurts into the air. When he was really trying to get his point across more blood would start shooting up in the air. At one point we went way too far and were told to dial it down! Dismembered body parts reassemble, with the help of a staplegun, to form Delores (Monica Bellucci), Beetlejuices ex-wife. All the limbs are in boxes, electricity shoots out of this cleaning machine [like Tesla coils], the boxes get reanimated, and the limbs start coming back together and bouncing around, basically rebuilding her body, explains Krentz. We did a lot of fully CG limbs. Monica Bellucci was in her outfit, and they had all these body doubles but of an arm. There would be this lady in a blue leotard and would have arm dressed up as if was belonging to Monica; she would do the animation of the hand moving around on the ground. We erased her body, put in a CG stump and it would look like an armless entity moving through. That was done with legs, a piece of her face and torso. You cant show a persona trying to animate a torso, so we did a CG version. To complete the reassembly, the limbs get stapled together. Krentz adds, There is a scene where Delores is half-assembled and grabs an arm; she shoves it into the stump of her shoulder. For us, it had to line up and we had to make sure that edges of the shoulder and arm stump line up together, though the skin on the skin didnt have to meld together. The idea is that the inners stick together and once she staples it, thats when the limbs come closer. When she was stapling herself, we would paint out some of the staples and then reveal the real ones. The creature work included snakes that bite Deila Deetz (Catherine OHara) and send her to the afterlife. According to Krentz, Snakes are incredibly hard to make realistic. They dont have a bone structure but there is a rigidity to them. Even when Deila is holding the snakes they dont go limp or loose because there is still a structure to them. You have to make sure that you abide to their muscles and the tension in them. We looked at real world references, like what do the snakes look like when you hold them and when they are in a tank and are slithering around. What do you do? The snakes were originally based on rainbow boas, which have an interesting sheen. You get a base color that is red and then on top of the skin it looks like a rainbow in the highlights, says Krentz. We went through these different variations and put forth what we thought what Tim Burton was looking for. In the end, he thought that the rainbow look was too fantastical and wanted it to be more grounded. So, the snakes became regular boas.A significant number of shots required the environment to be augmented to look like autumn. We had to do what was called the Fall filter, reveals Krentz. They shot in the summertime for some of the work, but the outdoor trees had to have oranges and reds. We did a good chunk of those shots. Trees can be replaced but it costs a lot more money. Originally, they were planning to do most of that work in the DI, but it didnt provide the minutia of the individual leaves. What we would do is track the camera in the environment, roto individual trees, within those individual trees we would have masks of leaves to change their individual colors and make it feel a lot more varied. It was a manual process. One artist did a good handful of those shots and if you opened up the scene he was working on, there were thousands of trees separated out into different groupings, layered separately, and different masks for leaves for each individual tree. I felt lucky to go onto set and see everything in motion, reflects Krentz. Just being there and experiencing that. The set designs were so cool. It was everything you expected it to be. The floors were wonky. Nothing was straight in terms of the lines of the environments. All the shelves were built weirdly. Crazy costumes and puppets. They did that from the starting point and all that makes our job easier because if thats what we get to work from then were just helping to finish things. In terms of worrying about making things look old or feel like they were done 30 years ago it was helped by the way the movie was shot and gave us such an advantage. Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer best known for composing in-depth filmmaker and movie profiles for VFX Voice, Animation Magazine, and British Cinematographer.

Breakdown & ShowreelsSecret Level: Warhammer 40,000 Opening Battle by Blur StudioBy Vincent Frei - 31/12/2024 Prime Video presents an exclusive clip from the 5th episode of Secret Level, Tim Millers animated anthology. This episode, brought to life by Blur Studio, explores the universe of Warhammer 40,000 through the eyes of Metaurus, a veteran Ultramarines Bladeguard Sergeant!WANT TO KNOW MORE?Blur Studio: Dedicated page about Secret Level on Blur Studio website. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2024

With just hours left in 2024, its a sure shot that this year on its way out will be the warmest on recorda sad fact that seemed inevitable even back in January, when AN covered the news that 2023 was reported as the warmest year on record. Sustainability topics are top of mind for many architects and designers, and likely will be for the coming decades. AN regularly reports on stories related to climate change;these include coverage of natural disasters, how to preserve buildings in the wake of storms, the use of innovative building materials, and reducing carbon emissions.As we look ahead to 2025, the unpredictability of storms and the uncertainty of politics make sustainable materials, buildings, and initiatives vitally important. In the meantime, here are a few of the pertinent stories on sustainability AN published in 2024.Through Material Innovation Center, students learn the skills required to successfully deconstruct a building in a way that preserves building materials for new use in future projects. (Courtesy Material Innovation Center/San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation)Three designer-led initiatives making the circular economy a realityTheres a lot of talk about the circular economy, especially in terms of construction. In our September issue, with a Focus section that highlighted sustainability, Jes Deaver introduced us to three designer-led initiatives making circular economies a reality.In Texas, the Material Innovation Center receives and redistributes donated building materials for affordable housing and community impact projects. It provides trades education and is setting up a community tool library. On the technology side of construction, the Circular Construction Lab (CCL) is a CAD extension that gives students and practicing architects a tool to measure circularity in early design phases. And Brooklyn-based firm Assemblage has adapted a circular systems approach to design and activism.Architects are designing a new type of science education facility to study our warming planetWith climate research comes a new building typology: the climate center. Diana Budds wrote about the education spaces that range in use from academic centers to nonprofit research institutions and public interpretive exhibition spacesall with the common mission: to help save the planet. Examples include Klimatorium, located in the coastal Danish city of Lemvig, designed by 3XN; the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center on Long Island, New York, designed by nARCHITECTS; and the Resnick Sustainability Center on CalTechs Pasadena campus from CannonDesign.Its possible to construct sustainable multifamily housing with raw earth technology. (Courtesy Kaminsky Arkitektur)Raw earth is a sustainable material making its way into the U.S. marketNo discussion of sustainability would be complete without bringing up materials. Theres a lot of talk out there about alternatives to plastics and carbon-intensive materials like concrete. One material that is reemerging, if you will, is raw earth. Examples of it include adobe, rammed earth, compressed-earth blocks, and clay plaster. Michele Barbato, professor of structural engineering and structural mechanics at UC Davis, said before the material and method can truly proliferate: There has to be education, and right now, earthen construction is fundamentally not known. U.S. Department of Energy issued a national definition of a zero-emissions buildingWhat constitutes a net-zero building? This year the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a new national definition that outlines what qualifies as a net-zero structure. It is one thats highly energy efficient, does not emit greenhouse gases directly from energy use, and is powered solely by clean energy. Numerically speaking, it must obtain an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher and its greenhouse gas emissions must equal zero, some exceptions apply.The green roofs, Mayor Wu said, are meant to help provide shade, improve air quality, add new green space, and increase stormwater retention. (Courtesy City of Boston)Boston bus shelters got green roofsThe key to combating climate change is multipronged. While architects and buildings have a stake in it, so do our cities and the means we rely on to get around them. In Boston, a green initiative, also highlighted in our transportation roundup, between Social Impact Collective and the Mayors office trialled a program that put green roofs atop bus shelters. The vegetation-rich designs provide shade, improve air quality, add new green space, and increase stormwater retention.Women of Carbon documents the relationship between motherhood and climate changeA film screened during New York City climate week, Women of Carbon, profiled women scientists, architects, and engineers working in the carbon industry to advance a better future for the next generation. The initiatives documented in the film include manufacturing an electrical chemical system for making cement and an embodied carbon calculator.Midway Contemporary Art in Minneapolis reuses a two-story warehouse built in 1963. (Caylon Hackwith/Courtesy Midway Contemporary Art)b+ and Snow Kreilich Architects reuse building materials for a project in MinneapolisReusing a building is one way to reduce carbon emissions, and many architects have caught on to that. An example from 2024 that stood out was a hub designed for Midway Contemporary Arts operations inside an old warehouse building in Minneapolis. The project from b+ and Snow Kreilich Architects exemplifies intelligent ruinsthe idea of buildings can be built to anticipate future change, decay, and the flexibility for reuse. Spancrete panels were removed throughout the building to open up the space more, instead of disposing of them the architects opted to keep them for the second-phase library expansion, an act that conserves 40,000 pounds of embodied CO.

Plays about gentrification and Grenfell. Books about anarcho-syndicalism in the pre-war French construction sector. Exhibitions pertaining to the untold stories of architects who fought fascism, and the past, present, and future of Bahrain. These are just a few subjects AN covered this year in reviews. Here are the books, exhibitions, and productions AN reviewed in 2024.In Architecture from Below, Srgio Ferro addresses the relationship between architecture and capitalist developmentSrgio Ferro fled a dictatorship in Brazil decades ago and moved to France. Ever since, Ferro has lectured and written about workers movements, particularly in the French construction sector; and architectures pernicious relationship to capitalism more broadly.Architecture from Below: An Anthology (MACK Books) compiled these lectures and histories. It was edited by Silke Kapp and Mariana Moura, and translated by Ellen Heyward and Ana Naomi de Sousa. Doug Spencer reviewed the book for AN.What makes the Pearling Path most exciting is its use of existing city fabric and strategic piecemeal development. (Iwan Baan)Bahrains Pearling Path offers a two-decade retrospective on history, identity, and architectural narrativeAN contributor Ali Ismail Karimi took us to Bahrain this year to learn about Muharraq Pearling Path, a city-wide affair which attempted to tell the story of the Bahrain pearling trade through an architectural narrative.In his review, Karimi also ruminated on the recent projects in Bahrainnamely by Christian Kerez, Valerio Olgiati, Office KGDVS, Atelier Bow-Wow, FormaFantasma, Leopold Banchini, and Studio Anne Holtropand the Gulf more broadly. City Limits sees urban interstate development through the eyes of community organizersMegan Kimble, in her new book, City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of Americas Highways, offers a fiery critique of urban interstate developments. Anjulie Rao reviewed City Limits for ANwhile ruminating on her own experiences as a commuter in Chicago.City Limitsfocuses primarily on three Texas cities and their traffic freeways that undergird massive traffic flows: Houstons I-45, Austins I-35, andDallass I-345. What does the future hold for each of these infrastructures? Read Kimbles book to learn more.Much of the plot unfolds in a kitchen reminiscent of HGTV programming. (Joan Marcus)James Ijamess play, Good Bones, directed by Saheem Ali asks: What color is gentrification?At The Public Theater in New York, James Ijames staged a play inside a home renovation in an unnamed American city. The plays title is a likely riff on the HGTV series of the same name.Kevin Ritter reviewed Good Bones for AN. The plays central couple, homeowners Travis and Aisha, recently moved into the historically Black and systematically disinvested neighborhood where Aisha grew up, Ritter penned in his review. Travis is a restauranteur, selling historically Black cuisine at elevated prices.Gillian Slovos Grenfell was a chilling reminder for New Yorkers that it could happen here tooGood Bones was just one of two plays AN reviewed this year. The other was a theatrical production by Gillian Slovo on Londons Grenfell fire.SlovosGrenfell was an attempt at retelling the 2017 fires very complicated story with seemingly endless moving parts within a three-hour window of time (split by a 15 minute intermission) in all of its complexity and human emotion. Margarete Schtte-Lihotzky gets her first retrospective in the U.S.Ive done a lot more in my life than just this! Margarete Schtte-Lihotzky, then in her late 90s, told a reporter in 1997. TheAustrianarchitect had been asked about a project she was sick and tired of being asked about. If I had known that everyone was always talking about it, I would have never made this damn kitchen!Indeed, Margarete Schtte-Lihotzky was much more than the widely celebrated Frankfurt Kitchen she designed in 1927a project which catapulted her into the annals of modernism. She was also an antifascist resistance fighter that risked her life battling Nazis during World War II, an anti-Vietnam War activist, a militant feminist, and a bonafide communist that dedicated her life to the working class.At the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York this year, a new exhibition, Margarete Schtte-Lihotzky: Pioneering Architect. Visionary Activist, captured the full spectrum of the late architects contributions to design, and society at-large.Harvards The State of Housing Design underscores architectures limitsIts easy to feel defeated by the American housing systems dysfunction. ButThe State of Housing Design, abookthat the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard (JCHS) published in October last year, shows how new architecture is grappling with these realities. It features 113 projectsdiscussed across 25 essays and interstitialsthat speak to these themes.The State of Housing Design was reviewed for AN by Diana Budds.The show took place inside Banvard Gallery at Ohio State University. ( Knowlton School of Architecture)Samiha Meems Girlroom elevates the spatial politics of girlhoodArchitecture educator Hannah Dewhurst traversed the Knowlton School of Architecture this year to introduce readers to an exhibition by Samiha Meem, Howard E LeFevre 29 Emerging Practitioner Fellow at Ohio State University.Girlroom offered a physical set that references elements of the#girlhood movement, Dewhurst said. The work on display emerged from the algorithmic economy of recent years, and is part of a larger critical contemporary movement that includes artists like Molly Sodaintertwined withfeminine, spatial, computational, and queer theoretical investigations of the past century. In Dreams + Disillusions, CJ Lim and Luke Angers imagine other worlds through text and imageThrough a dozen case studies and more analytic chapters that romp through everything from the aftermath of Londons great fire to North Koreas Hermit Kingdom, British architects CJ Lim and Luke Angers presented a universe of brightly colored and gravity-defining architectures in their book, Dreams + Disillusions, which came out this year.Dreams + Disillusions was reviewed for AN by Aaron Betsky, professor of architecture at Kean University. Betskys own book, The Monster Leviathan, which also came out this year was reviewed for AN by Todd Gannon.Virginia Hanusiks Into the Quiet and into the Night diverts our attention to the everyday impacts of climate crisisWhen you hear the words climate crisis, what comes to mind? Surely, images of ominous thunder storms and tattered buildings are invoked, but what about the days, weeks, and months after tragedy strikes?In Virginia Hanusiks Into the Quiet and into the Night, the author captures the human toll global warming takes on people, and their daily lives. The photography book was reviewed by Alexander Luckmann.Theater of Hopes and Expectations models in the Center for Architecture galleries (Matthew Carasella)Constructing Hope: Ukraine foregrounds memory, communal organizing, and resiliencyAn expansive group show curated by Ashley Bigham, Betty Roytburd, and Sasha Topolnytska at Center for Architecture this year showcased how activists and designers in Ukraine have confronted Russias 2022 full scale invasion.Constructing Hope: Ukraine was reviewed for AN by Charlie Weak. The artists of the models are internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees who participated in workshops led by thePrykarpattian Theater, Weak wrote. These differ from the exactness of other exhibition pieces. Their roughness, shifting scales, and levels of resolution say something about the memories that these homes held: Why might more care be taken to recreate this specific, workaday window? These moments of special focus elicit questions at the heart of theConstructing Hope: Ukraineexhibition. What makes a house a home? Owen Hatherleys Walking the Streets/Walking the Projects learns from New York and Washington, D.C.InThe Walker: On Finding and Losing Yourself in the Modern City, Matthew Beaumont recently revisited theflneurs place in the post-industrial metropolis; andThe Philosophy of Walking by Frdric Gros (translated by John Howe) did the same.With his latest book,Walking the Streets/Walking the Projects, architecture critic Owen Hatherley enters this echelon by asking what a new generation of American socialists might learn from strolling New York City and Washington, D.C.

It's a tiny PC with lots of power and tons of potential - and it's not a Raspberry Pi.

I reviewed a slew of handy gadgets this year, but these few became essential parts of my kit.

Looking for a brilliant pair of studio-quality, open-back cans? The Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro are the most comfortable over-ear headphones I've worn.

Healthy Diet GoalsgettyAs 2025 begins, many of us are focusing on healthier diets and fitness resolutions. However, even the most diligent efforts could be undermined by an invisible force: climate change. Beyond extreme weather and rising seas, climate change has a profoundand often overlookedimpact on the nutrient content of the food we eat. The soil where our food grows is changing, and that change is having serious consequences on our health.2025 Diet Sabotage Crisis: Soil Degradation and Nutrient LossSoil is the foundation of all terrestrial life, providing nutrients that sustain crops, livestock, and ecosystems. Yet, research shows that soil quality is deteriorating due to climate-related factors like rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and desertification. Soil health plays a vital role in human well-being, serving as the foundation for nutrient-rich crops that sustain global populations. According to Food and Agriculture Organization, when soils are degraded, the resulting crops often lack essential nutrients, increasing the risk of malnutrition and related health issues, especially among vulnerable groups. In other words, an apple a day, may not be sufficient to keep the doctor away. Additionally, the contamination of soils with pesticides, heavy metals, and other pollutants can lead to significant health hazards. FAO also reports that one-third of global soils are already degraded.Climate change affects soil quality gettyThis degradation matters because nutrient-rich soil is essential for producing healthy food. A 2017 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives revealed that increased atmospheric CO2 levels lower the concentration of essential nutrients like zinc, iron, and protein in crops. Wheat, rice, and soybeansstaples for billionshave seen reductions in nutrient density of up to 10% compared to crops grown decades ago.A 2018 research by National Library of Medicine, indicated alarming results, as elevated atmospheric CO2 negatively impacts the nutritional quality of vegetables by reducing several essential nutrients. A meta-analysis of 57 studies found that elevated atmospheric CO2 leads to a 9.5% decrease in protein, an 18.0% reduction in nitrate, a 9.2% decline in magnesium, a 16.0% drop in iron levels, and a 9.4% decrease in zinc. These losses are concerning, as these nutrients are vital for human health, particularly in vulnerable populations who may already be at risk for deficiencies. The onset of Climate change underscores the urgent need to address these reductions and is critical to ensure that vegetables continue to provide the necessary nutrients for a healthy diet in the face of rising CO2 levels.MORE FOR YOU2025 Diet Plans Are Inevitably Affected by Declining Soil HealthThe decline in soil and food quality has direct implications for human health. According to research by the International Food Policy Research Institute, zinc plays a vital role in human health, yet zinc deficiency remains one of the most prevalent forms of micronutrient malnutrition worldwide. The research further stated that approximately that 17% of the global population lacks adequate zinc intake, with this figure climbing to 19% in Asia and 24% in Africa. This deficiency is linked to stunted growth, weakened immunity, and cognitive challenges in children, and growing evidence suggests it also contributes to the burden of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases later in life.Iron deficiency, another byproduct of nutrient-poor crops, is the leading cause of anemia worldwide, affecting 1.62 billion people according to a National Institute of Health report. Anemia as defined by the American Society of Hematology, occurs when there is not enough red blood cells or when the red blood cells do function properly, and this contributes to fatigue, decreased productivity, and complications during pregnancy, with ripple effects on economic output and healthcare systems.Soil health affects healthcare sectorgettyThe intersection of climate change and public health will continue to present a formidable challenge, as rising CO2 levels exacerbate nutrient deficiencies in staple crops, posing dire consequences for global nutrition. Iron deficiency, is already the world's most common micronutrient shortfall, and is set to worsen as increased atmospheric CO2 (projected at 550 ppm by 2050) reduces iron concentrations in C3 grains, legumes, and maize by 410% according to a 2019 Stanford University report. The report further indicated that vulnerable populations, particularly children aged 15 and women of childbearing age in regions like South Asia, East Africa, and North Africa, are disproportionately affected. These areas, often economically disadvantaged, rely heavily on plant-based diets for iron intake and face anemia prevalence which exceeding 20%. The report further indicated that 1.4 billion people at risk of a >3.8% dietary iron loss, this emerging health crisis underscores the urgency of mitigating anthropogenic CO2 emissions, which are as a result of human activities. Consequently, bolstering health systems, promoting dietary diversification, and fostering agricultural innovations are critical to safeguarding global health and productivity against the impacts of the climate crisis of nutrient-poor crops.The combined effects of soil degradation, nutrient-poor crops, and climate change are intensifying the global burden of micronutrient deficiencies, with devastating implications for public health and economic productivity. Addressing this crisis requires urgent action to mitigate CO2 emissions, enhance agricultural practices, and invest in health systems and education to build resilience against the far-reaching consequences of declining food quality.2025 Economic Impacts: The Cost of Poor NutritionThe ripple effects of nutrient loss extend to economies. Poor nutrition increases healthcare costs and reduces worker productivity. A 2019 report by the Global Nutrition Report estimated that malnutrition costs the global economy $3.5 trillion annually. If climate change continues to erode food quality, these costs will escalate and be addition burdens to the ailing healthcare systems in many countries.Entrepreneurs and innovators, however, see opportunities in the crisis. Startups focused on regenerative agriculture, vertical farming, and climate-resilient crop technologies are gaining traction. Companies like Indigo Ag and Plenty are developing solutions that promise to restore soil health while ensuring sustainable food production.This crisis also provides the opportunity for university research and development. A preliminary Washington University study reveals that soil-building techniquessuch as reduced plowing, diverse crop planting, and the use of cover cropscan significantly enhance the nutrient profile of produce. The research involved comparing farms across the U.S. that employed these methods for at least five years with neighboring conventional farms and the researchers found a notable increase in essential minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals that support human health. These findings highlight the potential of regenerative agriculture not just to restore soil health but also to deliver more nutrient-rich food, making it a compelling choice for both personal well-being and environmental sustainability.Ginger (Zingiber officinale) ginger roots for sale in local market in Linstead, Jamaica ... [+] DgettyLinking Personal Health Goals to Planetary Sustainability in 2025When setting our 2025 health goals, it is essential to recognize that the path to well-being goes beyond what is on our platesit is rooted in the soil beneath our feet. Climate change, with its silent but profound effects on soil quality and crop nutrients, is a challenge that demands urgent attention. The hidden crisis of nutrient loss underscores the interconnectedness of our environment and health, reminding us that every action we take to combat climate changefrom supporting sustainable farming practices to reducing carbon emissions, investing in regenerative agriculture, leaving unsustainable habits in 2024, advocating for climate-resilient policies, and fostering global awarenessdirectly safeguard our ability to thrive. Should we completely depend on vitamin and mineral supplements from the pharmaceutical industry to aid our ailing food quality? Let 2025 be the year we embrace a holistic vision of health that unites collective healthcare with planetary sustainability. Additional research and development as well serious actions to mitigate against the growing health effects of climate change.